Original article

Using YouTube songs to improve English communication skills in Peruvian university students

0000-0002-5491-2481Reyna Olano del Castillo^{1  *}  , 0000-0002-0318-260XAlfonzo Mauro Guerra Chacón¹  , 0000-0002-6013-7733Edgar Ricardo Yauri Rivera² 

¹Universidad Nacional Intercultural de la Amazonía. Ucayali. Perú

²Universidad Cesar Vallejo. Perú.

ABSTRACT

The objective was to identify the existing influence between didactic experiences through YouTube songs and improvements in basic English language skills in university students, which revealed a positive mean correlation (rs=0.664) between didactic experiences using YouTube songs and the improvement of English skills. Some 60.4% of university students prefer to learn English face-to-face, while 47.3% benefit from ICT integration and encourage class participation. With a bilateral significance (P < 0.05), the importance of didactic planning (rs=0.498), decision making (rs=0.582) and innovation (rs=0.636) in the development of English communication skills is confirmed.

Key words: Didactic experiences; English skills; Information and communication technologies (ICTs); Active participation

Introduction

The teaching of English language in Peru is governed by the guidelines established in the national curriculum design, under the guideline of the Ministry of Education (MINEDU, 2017, cited in MINEDU, 2022), being able to oscillate its dictation between two and five academic hours each week in the country's educational institutions with the support of available technology as part of the didactic strategies possible to be implemented inside and outside the classroom.

This insertion of English as a language included in the Peruvian curriculum means recognizing its importance in a world where globalization and technological progress occupy a large part of daily life, highlighting the need for students to acquire and master communicative skills related to speaking, listening, writing and reading in this language. However, students do not always perceive this requirement for their current and future life, showing little interest in learning it, categorizing it as boring and complicated, aspects that are usually reflected in their academic performance.

For this reason, we propose to identify the didactic experiences using YouTube songs and their influence on improvements in the communicative skills of the English language in high school students, specifically from the Private Educational Institution Amado de Dios - District of San Borja, 2023, in a work made up of four chapters. In the first one, the situation-problem is described, then the theoretical framework is developed, where national and international aspects on didactic strategies and the use of technological resources such as YouTube for teaching English are presented.

Chapter II includes the methodology followed to obtain and expose the results achieved in the research, allowing to show the evidence of the importance of adopting technological resources in the didactic strategies planned for the teaching of a second language in Peru, as is the case of the Private Educational Institution in San Borja. Next, the budget and the schedule of activities are presented in this document.

The learning of the English language has become a common aspect in the countries of different languages, especially in the Andean context, where its inclusion in the educational processes is considered a quality factor, due to the demands of all levels (academic, labor, professional or personal) existing at present, which respond, in turn, to the prevailing processes of competitiveness and globalization. Previously, its knowledge meant a formative complement, which was transformed over time along with the emergence and development of the digital context, requiring all these elements, consequently, the implementation of public policies both consistent and efficient (Hermoza, 2021).

However, the results obtained in Latin American countries, for example, have not been as expected, being classified with a lower level than that achieved in Asian and European geography. In this regard, Iparraguirre (2022) expresses that the gaps grow when these territories try to improve competitiveness and economic growth, which is a worrying factor when recognizing the importance that companies give to their domain as a facilitating element of international interaction and its corresponding contribution to the development of the world economy.

According to this researcher, English language teaching has not been characterized by generating meaningful learning, but by the transmission of information, continuing with a traditional instruction process; in this regard, she takes the example of a Costa Rican experience in 2015, when a technological systematization was carried out to facilitate this process, producing and editing videos. This technological application, carried out with university students, demonstrated that the proper use of this tool, with audio and images, improves the students' attention and, consequently, their learning.

In this regard, García et al. (2019) point out that in Peru, the performance for teaching this language in public institutions has tried to be improved through various reforms that they have catalogued as insufficient or unsuccessful, listing some factors of interest: (a) the graduates of public secondary education only have an initial knowledge of the language, which is repeated in recognized organizations in the capital of the country; (b) there is a lack of regulation to implement new policies in basic education, affecting the effectiveness of the process; (c) it is necessary to hear the opinion of teachers referred to the didactic material distributed by the ministry, as well as to strengthen their skills in the language they teach.

Considering the above, the research "Didactic experiences using YouTube songs and their influence on improvements in English language communicative skills in high school students", began with an exploratory observation carried out at the beginning of this year at the secondary level of the Amado de Dios Private Educational Institution - District of San Borja. This preliminary visit allowed us to detect that English classes are governed by the guidelines of the National Curriculum Design (Ministry of Education, 2017), to plan the sessions according to the competencies and skills established in this document, relying on resources such as the Greenwich Books texts and two Internet pages: https://es.liveworksheets.com/ and https://wordwall.net/es.

These sessions are held four days a week, from Tuesday to Friday, distributing the six hours they dedicate as follows: two hours on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, while on Thursdays and Fridays it is only one hour. For their execution they perform exercises on the blackboard, readings and compositions, carrying out a permanent evaluation; likewise, it was observed that among the reinforcement techniques implemented to improve the students' communicative skills, the teacher in charge applies role play, debates, while the students use worksheets and expositions.

Regarding the use of YouTube, it was found that songs are chosen according to the grammatical time of the learning session, where the language level is characterized as high intermediate, highlighting that of all students who rely on this resource, the levels achieved are: a) high level = 8; b) medium level = 5 and c) low level = 6. The teacher provides counseling in her free time to those who are in the latter two, that is, in the medium and low levels, adding that three of these students have taken private tutoring at Britano and at the Language Center of the Catholic University.

Regarding the conversation held with the supervisor of the institution, she stated that she belongs to the social staff, but has studies in translation, adding, regarding the didactic experience of the institution, that there are children from state schools who did not know anything, but had a song they liked in English, so that for each word they did not know they went to the dictionary and expanded the number of words to form sentences. That was in the third year of high school.

Corresponding to the above, ^{Fernández-Concepción (2018}) presented the song as a didactic tool for teaching English at any level, proposing a series of steps to make an appropriate selection of songs and the way to work them considering the level of the students, adding that training in musical competencies positively influences language learning, improving students' performance in aspects such as pronunciation and grammatical structure, that is, in their listening, speaking, writing and reading skills.

In this regard, the article by Vera and Moreno (2021), states that during the contingency generated by COVID-19, a migration from face-to-face to virtual education was generated, where the use of technological tools was a key element for students who use their platforms to complement their studies. On this basis, they analyzed the activity that 149 students from a Mexican public university gave to YouTube in 2020 due to the effect of the pandemic, seeking to identify educational aspects in formal and non-formal learning environments. Their results indicate that the platform is frequently used for the acquisition of knowledge related to various fields of student life, recovering valuable learning, concluding that YouTube is recognized as an alternative training space, so it can be included as a resource in formal teaching-learning processes.

In relation to the above, Sierra et al. (2020) explain that pedagogical work faces different difficulties when addressing reading and the skills involved with this action. Based on an exploratory intervention experience carried out in a University Corporation, they argue that music has an impact on learning due to its close relationship with memory and emotions, which are basic elements in the process of reading and interpretation, for which they propose a didactic strategy that uses song lyrics for the teaching-learning of the contents of a language applicable at any educational level and considering the tastes of the participants.

Similarly, ^{Chica-Correa et al. (2021}) consider the implementation of ludic strategies to optimize teaching processes in educational institutions to be opportune due to the conversion they can make to cognitive transmission. Through a research process, they were able to demonstrate that music improves student learning, concluding that it is a successful resource that contributes to optimize the motivation, attitude and cognitive areas of students.

Regarding English language teaching, Jaime et al. (2021) studied the discourses, beliefs and unconscious meanings that students and teachers of the Agricultural and Livestock Technological Baccalaureate School N° 35 (CBTA N° 35) of the Mexican municipality Texcoco that are generated in the school environment for the learning of this language as a foreign language. Their findings show that the aspects analyzed are not significant and that they reflect an ideological aspect alien to their worldview, so that the existing resistance and intentionality make up areas of opportunity to expand the fields of action and locate training options aimed at providing students with a sense of learning English as a foreign language. In this sense, the research question was: How do the didactic experiences through YouTube songs influence the improvements in the basic English language skills in the university students of the National University of Ucayali? and the objective: To identify the existing influence between the didactic experiences through YouTube songs and the improvements in the basic English language skills in the university students of the National University of Ucayali.

Developmentsee table 2

The research by ^{Gallardo and Jordi-Taltavull (2019}) describes an educational experience at the University of Murcia using YouTube video clips in economic geography. With the participation of 33 students, this methodology fostered interactive learning and increased motivation and discussion. Its use is recommended in other university courses.

^{Bolívar-Chávez et al. (2019}), "Music as a pedagogical strategy," analyzes theories on the use of music in teaching. It demonstrates its effectiveness as an attractive and versatile resource to facilitate comprehensive learning in various curricular areas.

The article by López (2021) analyzes an asynchronous virtual course in Moodle with eight Costa Rican teachers, highlighting that digital tools such as e-learning, m-learning and b-learning enhance teaching and teacher development, emphasizing the importance of adapting these resources to the context of each educational institution.

On the other hand, Martín et al. (2022) analyzes 29 YouTube Kids videos for children aged 0 to 4 years, focusing on their structure, design and content. The findings indicate a similar structure to general YouTube, oriented to children, with an emphasis on the playful over the pedagogical and consumption mostly in the family environment.

Rojas (2020) investigated the use of ICT, such as YouTube and Facebook, to teach English to disinterested high school students in institution N° 8193 - Villas de Ancón. Applying questionnaires to 25 students aged 11-13, he found a significant increase in performance, with 88% improving their grades.

Iparraguirre (2022) investigated the impact of educational videos on the learning of English writing in 58 high school students in San Juan Lurigancho. Using a quasi-experimental design with pre- and post-tests (Cronbach's alpha 0.75), the results showed a significant improvement in English writing skills.

Orna's research (2021), was a quantitative, correlational, non-experimental transectional work, whose sample consisted of 208 students between 13 and 23 years old enrolled in the regular program from Monday to Friday, using the Study Habits Inventory CASM-85 Revision 2014 to measure the first variable and its dimensions study techniques, dedication to homework, preparation for exams, attitude during classes and study environment; while for the second variable the grade records in the English area of ICPNA Central Region Huanuco were used.

The research design was non-experimental, quantitative and cross-sectional. It is quantitative because the variables didactic experiences and English language communication skills were measured; it is prospective because the dependent variable was measured: English language communication skills.

The population was the university students of the National University of Ucayali and the National Intercultural University of the Amazon, both located in Ucayali, Peru. Our population consisted of 91 university students, 30.8% were male and 69.2% were female, 97.8% were between 18 and older, 59.3% lived in a relative's house and only 23.1% lived in their own home.

Table 1 Descriptive results of the dimensions didactic planning, decision making and innovation. 

Source: Data from data collection instrument.

As can be observed in Table 1, the descriptive results of the variable didactic experience in its three dimensions: didactic planning, decision making and innovation, in the first dimension: university students have a greater understanding of English classes in a face-to-face manner with 60.4% than in a virtual manner. Regarding the second dimension: decision making, 47.3% use tics in their English classes. Finally, with respect to the last dimension: innovation, 47.3% consider that in the classes they seek greater student participation.

Tabla 2  . Results of the general and specific hypotheses between didactic experiences and English language communication skills and the dimensions of didactic planning, decision making and innovation.  

Source: Data from data collection instrument.

Statement of the hypotheses

Ho: Didactic experiences using YouTube songs do not significantly influence improvements in English language communicative skills.

Ha: Didactic experiences using YouTube songs do not significantly influence improvements in English language communicative skills.

Degree of correlation (rs). From the analysis of the statistical tests it can be affirmed that there is a correlation between the variables didactic experiences and English language communication skills rated as positive correlation average (rs=0.664) respectively.

Bilateral significance (P. Value) indicates that there is significance in the correlation between the variable teaching experience and English language communication skills (P. Value < 0.05), (0.000 < 0.05).

Decision: As the P. value is lower for communication skills (0.000 < 0.05), then there is a significant relationship between the variables didactic experiences and English language communication skills.

The same tendency happens with the specific hypotheses of didactic planning (0.000 < 0.05; rs=0.498), decision making (0.000 < 0.05; rs=0.582) and innovations (0.000 < 0.05; rs=0.636) which have a significant relationship with the variable English language communication skills.

Discussion: The general objective was to identify the influence of didactic experiences using YouTube songs on improvements in English language communicative skills in Peruvian university students. In this sense, the hypothesis that there is a relationship between didactic experiences using YouTube songs on improvements in English language communicative skills in Peruvian university students was demonstrated. The descriptive results confirm this hypothesis. In this dimension, it is observed that 60.4% of university students have a greater understanding of English classes in face-to-face than virtually. This suggests that face-to-face interaction and the physical learning environment play a crucial role in language comprehension. It is possible that the physical presence of the teacher and the opportunity to participate in on-site group activities facilitate more effective learning. However, it is also important to consider the challenges faced by those students who prefer or require the virtual modality, seeking strategies to improve comprehension in this format. Regarding decision making, it is seen that 47.3% of students use information and communication technologies (ICTs) in their English classes. This data is significant, as it reflects a considerable integration of ICTs in the learning process. It is important to discuss how these tools are being used and what impact they have on language learning: do ICTs facilitate greater interaction or understanding, and how can they be better leveraged to benefit those students who are not yet using them effectively? In terms of innovation, the same percentage, 47.3%, consider that in the classes, greater student participation is sought. This aspect is crucial for more interactive and student-centered language learning. Active participation is fundamental for the development of language skills. It would be interesting to explore what methods or strategies are being implemented to encourage this participation and how this aspect could be improved or innovated to involve a higher percentage of students.

Conclusions

In general, these results suggest that while the face-to-face modality is preferred for English comprehension, the use of ICTs and innovation in student participation are important aspects in the teaching-learning process. It is essential that educators and educational institutions at the secondary and higher education levels take these preferences and perceptions into account in order to adapt their teaching methods and strategies, always seeking continuous improvement and inclusion of all learning modalities.

Referencias bibliográficas

Bolívar-Chávez, O., Fernández-Ferrin, C., Palma-García, Y. y Mendieta-Torres, Y. (2019). La música como estrategia pedagógica. Polo del Conocimiento, 4(8), 242-249. https://dx.doi.org/10.23857/pc.v4i8.1059

Chica-Correa, J., Álvarez-Lozano, M. y Guevara-Vizcaíno, C. (2021). La música como estrategia metodológica para fortalecer el desarrollo integral en los estudiantes. Revista Arbitrada Interdisciplinaria Koinonía, 6(4), 334-350. https://dx.doi.org/10.35381/r.k.v6i4.1505

Fernández-Concepción, C. (2018). Las canciones como herramienta didáctica en el aprendizaje de la lengua inglesa (Tesis de grado). Universidad de Huelva.

Gallardo, M. y Jordi-Taltavull, M. (2019) Videoclips musicales en YouTube como herramienta para el aprendizaje. Ejemplo práctico en la enseñanza universitaria. Revista Interuniversitaria de Investigación en Tecnología Educativa (RIITE), (6), 64-75. http://dx.doi.org/10.6018/riite.370271

Received: July 31, 2023; Revised: September 20, 2023; Accepted: December 01, 2023

^*Autor para la correspondencia:[e-mail]